PHILIPPINE WORKS OF ART
Hills of Nikko
Jose Joya
1964
This is the interpretation of Jose Joya to the existing hill’s in Nikko, Japan. During wintertime, the hill’s imperfections are thoroughly covered by snow.
The painting is actually an allegory to human imperfections. The earth colors symbolize the weaknesses and limitations of humanity while blue represent life and white background represents the snow that starts to envelop the mound.
It shows no form, as how an abstract expressionist painting really looks. Compared to the reality of the hills in Nikko, Japan, the hills where this painting was depicted, the Hills of Nikko are tranquil and calm. They show no complexity of emotions; they purely show peace. But in Jose Joya’s painting and interpretation of the Hills of Nikko, it shows too much confusion yet joy with its vibrant colors. It’s as if the hills were come to life through the strokes and colors that the artist used for this work of art. The thin and thicker lines combined along with earthly colors such as orange, blue, green, red, and yellow. Joya depicted nature in a very different and playful way through his painting. Abstract expressionism paintings may seem to be very difficult to understand, especially if one is to talk about what the artist thinks about as he does such art work. But one thing is for sure: they are a part of the painting that they do, and they work as if they are in the painting.
He was one of the modern artists that incited younger Filipino artists to go beyond the norms of painting through this style, abstract expressionism or best known as gestural painting.
Parisian Life
1892
Juan Luna
“Parisian Life”, also known as “Interior d’un Cafe” was painted in c 1892 by Juan Luna.
The Christie’s catalogue describes “Parisian Life” as the “best features of the artist’s work from the Paris period, testifying to his sensitivity and skill in capturing a fleeting moment of ordinary life, and imbuing it with personality and universal emotions.” At the center of the delicately painted masterpiece is a young and pretty woman languidly sitting on a sofa. The painting also captures three Filipino heroes in the advent of the revolution. In 1892, the patriots did not realize that they would change the course of Philippine history. Juan Luna painted award-winning paintings and was a member of the first Philippine diplomatic mission to the United States. Ariston Bautista Lin discovered paregoric, a medicine that stopped the onslaught of countrywide cholera epidemic at the turn of the century. He was also the financier of the Propaganda movement, Katipunan, Philippine Revolution and Philippine America War. The three patriots played pivotal roles in Philippine history.
The painting also illustrates the Impressionist attempts of Luna in color, perspective and theme at the height of 19th century Impressionist movement in France. Even after the demise of Luna, the painting was publicly exhibited and won a silver Medal in the 1904 St. Louis Exposition.
One interpretation claims the lady as the mirror image of the Philippine archipelago. Superimposition of the Philippine map’s mirror image on the lady highlights the following: the contour of Northern Luzon follows the same contour of the lady’s bodice; the distance between Infanta, Quezon and San Antonio, Zambales is exact to the small waistline of the lady ; all islands of Visayas and Mindanao are evenly spread out within the pink gown of the lady; the island of Palawan has exactly the same incline and shape as the arm of the lady; the mountain range that separates Surigao from Agusan and Davao is exact to the dark fold of the lady’s gown from north to south; the site of the birth of 1898 Philippine Independence, Kawit Cavite, is exact on the lady’s womb, site of a woman’s birthing; the site of the declaration of 1899 Constitution, Malolos, Bulacan, is exact on the navel of the lady. Constitution is the bloodline of the nation and the umbilical cord is the infant’s bloodline to his mother; and Cebu covers a knee of the lady. Cebu is the site of the first Christianization in the country.
Simply the interpretation contends the lady as our motherland. The motherland is awkwardly poised, disturbed with a blank stare, unsure whether to stand up or remain seated. With this contention, it integrates cohesively other elements in the painting.
Tampuhan
Juan Luna
1895
The painting “tampuhan” made by Juan Luna is an 1895 classic oil in canvas. Tampuhan meaning “sulking” which in the painting depicts a Filipino man and a Filipina woman having a lover’s quarrel. In the painting, the man is looking outside from a window and on the other hand the woman, while sitting on a chair was staring on the floor of the room. The medium that Juan Luna used in the painting was Tempera paint. Tempera paint also known as “egg tempera” is a permanent fast-drying painting medium consisting of colored pigment mixed with a water-soluble binder medium. Luna’s Tampuhan is a partly genre and a partly interior. In contrast to interior is landscape painting which often depicts natural scenery and the country side. Landscapes may be realist, romantic, classical or expressionist because it showcases a mysterious, exotic, or awe inspiring with a suggestion of the divine spirit in nature and also subjective, expressive of inner mood with nature viewed through the reflecting lens of the emotion. And what I have observed in the painting was the guy used to sit beside the girl but because of an argument he stood up and look out of the window. While the guy was leaning on the wood it is where the arm of the girl was rested and it’s got more surface than the wood panel which the guy is leaning on but farther away which artistically means the guy is cheating and while he’s looking outside he’s looking at the 3 girls outside the window.
